Category Archives: Hearing God’s Voice

Walking Upon Possibilities

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soldier

“Permanence, perseverance and persistence in spite of all obstacles, discouragements, and impossibilities: It is this that in all things distinguishes the strong soul from the weak.” Thomas Carlyle, Scottish Historian.

Sitting in a crowded waiting room this past week, I watched a very young girl make her way slowly across the room. Tears pooled in my eyes at the thought that this crippled child would have to use crutches for the rest of her life. But she wasn’t the least bit sad. From the sweet, careless smile which lit her innocent face, it was quite obvious that she didn’t give her legs a second thought.

I was reminded of William Pitt the Elder, a British Politician, who was an extremely influential figure during the French Revolution. What Pitt lacked in physical strength, he more than made up for in determination. The concept of limitation was a foreign one to him.

Though he rarely delegated duty, he had at some point during the war given a direct command to one of his officials. When the man balked at the impossibility of the task, Pitt reprimanded him by pointing to his crutches and confidently declared: “Sir, I walk upon impossibilities!”

There is no question that all of humanity is currently facing difficulty and hardship. The future holds many uncertainties and without God, I believe, little hope. With God, however, there is much hope because with God all things are possible (Matthew 19:26).

Whatever you are going through right now, dear reader, remember that we may all lose a few battles, but we will most assuredly win the war. Now is not the time to give in to discouragement; there is too much work to do. It may be difficult, but let us all rise to the challenge.

Marie Currie, French physicist and Nobel Peace Prize winner summarized this well. She said “Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that…. We must believe that we are gifted for something, and that this thing, at whatever cost, must be attained.”

It is far too easy to allow circumstances to cripple us. And when they do, we can choose to accept them as insurmountable, henceforth hobbling on emotional crutches. Or we can look them squarely in the face and declare, as Mr. Pitt did, “I walk upon impossibilities!” Let me remind you again, with God nothing shall be impossible (Luke 1:37).

Home is Number 5

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cell phone

We were sitting around the dinner table when the subject of numbers came up. Addressing my husband I joyfully said, I know what number I am -number 2. To understand the very special meaning of that statement, please read one of my most popular blogs, “Second Place Love.”

“Yes,” he said, smiling. “You are even number 2 on my speed dial.”

That surprised me. “I thought home would be number 2 and my cell would be number 3,” I replied.

He pulled his phone from its case and turned the keypad toward me. The number 5 is in the center of my phone, he explained, so home is number 5 because everything revolves around home.

I already knew that my husband’s life revolved around his family, but to hear this little tidbit just blessed my socks off because I love the imagery of it.

Dear reader, no matter how strong our prayer lives are, there will always be those times when we need to ‘speed dial’ the LORD. After all, urgent matters can arise very quickly. When they do, (and even when they don’t) it is good to know that our Heavenly Father is already right in the center of our lives, where He belongs.

I love the LORD, for he heard my voice;
he heard my cry for mercy.
Because he turned his ear to me,
I will call on him as long as I live.
Psalm 116:1-2

Second Place Love

Old Paths

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path

The young man at the thrift store was quite serious when he said, “Oh my, you don’t see many of these anymore.” I had to chuckle. It’s not like I was purchasing an eight track player; it was a telephone, and it wasn’t even a rotary.

I don’t know about you, but technology is moving way too fast for my comfort – or my comprehension. Of course, I do enjoy my laptop, but this is honestly the most technologically advanced piece of equipment I own, and seeing that today’s electronics age even faster than doggie-years, it is pretty much a relic already. As far as cell phones go, I did finally move up to a $20 flip phone for my $15 a month pre-paid plan, but that was only after I dropped my last one on the floor and gave it a concussion. My children actually laughed at that one because it had an antenna –no, I am not kidding.

What can I say? I would rather be a Flintstone than a Jetson.¹

When it comes to my faith, I feel the same way. Clearly the church, as a whole, has elected to trade in their “antiquated” methods of reaching the lost for the flashier, “technologically correct” gizmos and gadgets, but as for me, I’m sticking with the prophet Jeremiah on this one:

Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. (Jeremiah 6:16).

I happen to believe the “old paths” are the best ones, and hold to the old adage, “if it aint broke, don’t fix it.” Besides, I get plenty worn-out trying to figure-out all this new stuff, so I relish the chance to find rest anywhere I can! Speaking of which, it is time for me to go read some Scripture on my iPad. Nah, I’m just kidding; I’m going to go read my Bible from an actual book, like they did in the good-old-days.

Blessings.

¹For those of you who live outside the United States, and have never seen the Flintstones or Jetsons; these were both television cartoons from the 1960’s. The former represented a family living in the primitive Stone Age, and the latter represented a family living in the futuristic Space Age.

pencil lady

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Falling Rock

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falling rock

As a child, I passed many an hour in the back of a station wagon, watching for a Native American chief named Falling Rock. My mother told such fanciful tales of the Chief and his many adventures. No wonder his fame had spread so rapidly that signs were posted across the country reminding travelers to keep an eye out for him.

On those long trips, I wanted nothing more than to spot Chief Falling Rock, mostly because he was so legendary and yet so elusive. I hunted for the Bigfoot monster for many years for the same reason. To this day, I haven’t seen either. No surprise there.

I’m not sure what age I was when reality hit; Falling Rock was obviously not an Indian chief. But I am thankful that my mother found creative ways to help me beat the road-trip blues. Heaven knows, imagining the exciting adventures of Chief Falling Rock was a lot more interesting than watching for literal rocks to fall. Back then, I could have written a whole book on the Chief’s exploits, and probably those of his whole tribe.

Childhood imagination is a wonderful thing. But there comes a time when we must all mature –a time when wisdom and understanding are crucial for guidance and protection!

Thankfully, the Lord has graciously erected many guidepost for us in His word.  Consider the following in the book of Proverbs:

My son, if you accept my words
and store up my commands within you,
turning your ear to wisdom
and applying your heart to understanding—
indeed, if you call out for insight
and cry aloud for understanding,
and if you look for it as for silver
and search for it as for hidden treasure,
then you will understand the fear of the Lord
and find the knowledge of God.
For the Lord gives wisdom;
from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
He holds success in store for the upright,
he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless,
for he guards the course of the just
and protects the way of his faithful ones
Then you will understand what is right and just
and fair—every good path.
For wisdom will enter your heart,
 and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.
Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you.
(2:1-11 NIV)

Gone Phishing

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hooked

Today, you have logged onto your computer internet and ventured into the World Wide Web. That being the case, you obviously know a little something about cyberspace. There, in that vast metropolis of strangers, lurks the malicious practice of phishing.

If you’re not familiar with that term, phishing is the deceitful practice of cyber criminals, whereby the culprit hijacks your webpage with a pretty convincing look-alike page of their own. The purpose of this deception is to trick you into providing sensitive information that they can steal, such as passwords and credit card information. Once obtained, the cyber criminal can use this information to steal your identity.

Jesus told his disciples that they would be fishers of men, but there were phishers following in their footsteps also. Of course, there were no credit cards or internet in the first century, but there certainly were evil men who tried to rob every gullible believer of their identity in Christ.

Take the Galatians, for example. Paul exhorted, “O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth…” He also warned the Roman believers against faith phishers (Romans 16:17-18); as did Jesus himself, on many occasions.

Dear reader, may we exert the same diligence as the Bereans, who “received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day…” (Acts 17:11). By so doing, we will safeguard our faith, never falling into a web of deception, nor becoming ensnared by those who have gone phishing.

A Lesson from the Dollar Store

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solar flower

My dear friend, Barbara, often blesses me with some small gift just to let me know she is thinking of me. Some time ago, she gave me a small, solar-powered flower; this little gal waves her two arm-like leaves, as though she were praising the Lord, every time the sun is shining brightly.

Yesterday, we were both waiving our arms. After all, life has been pretty good lately; my family has  a great deal to be thankful for. As I was meditating on God’s goodness and His faithfulness, the following song lyrics came to mind:

I’ve been on the mountain when the sun was shining bright, and I’ve been in the valley when the clouds were black as night…

In that moment, I heard that still small voice (see I Kings 19:11-13) gently convicting, “What about the dark times, do you praise me then?” To which I had to confess that lately I hadn’t –at least not as much, or as often, as I should.

I find it so easy to lift my hands, and heart, in praise when life is good, and all is well. To praise Him in the darkest hours is never quite as easy. But we can learn a lesson from King David. Though he was often distraught over many issues, and struggled with them, he always came back to praise. Unlike that little Dollar Store flower that only lifts its arms when the sun is shining brightly, David proclaimed:

I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together. I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. Psalm 34:1-4

Then I recalled another part of the aforementioned song and remembered how many times these very words were true in my own life:

You know I’ve heard the battle raging, then I prayed till victory came. There have been times I really thought, Lord, you don’t even know my name. But I’ve been blessed and I’ve been down to where I didn’t know what to do, But in the times of joy or sorrow, Lord, I’ve learned to lean on you…..When I don’t know what to do, I have the faith you’re gonna see me through, to supply my every need; I lean on you!

What about you dear reader, are you currently walking through a dark valley? Your Heavenly Father, is right there beside you, waiting for you to lean on Him and find rest from all your burdens. Moreover, while you are waiting for the sun to shine brightly again, why not raise your hands and praise Him, with full assurance that He is going to see you through!

Time to Book It

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books

When is the last time you heard someone say that it was time to “book it”? For those of you who aren’t familiar with this phrase, it means that the person speaking it needs to leave; usually in a hurry. Perhaps we don’t hear this phrase very much anymore because our fast-paced society has become so hurried that ‘booking it’ is pretty much implied.

I still like to ‘book it’ every chance I get, but not in the same way. When I tell my family that I am going to “book it,” they know that I’m headed to the library to load-up on books.

My love of reading started when I was very young, and thankfully, my children have inherited that same bookworm gene. In fact, there are many evenings when the only sound in our home is the sound of turning pages. I must admit, as a parent this brings me great joy.

I know of another parent who surely feels the same way; our Heavenly Father. I believe it pleases Him greatly when His children shut-out all the distractions of this world and immerse themselves in His Word; like the Bereans, for example, “…. in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things [which the apostles taught] were so.” (Acts 17:11)

Personally, I long to be a Berean. After all, 2 Timothy 2:15 instructs us all: “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” Although, truth be told, I’m not always as disciplined as I should be, and sometimes let the demands of life keep me from studying the Bible as much as I would like.

Can anyone relate? I know how overwhelming life can sometimes be, and how very hectic. Perhaps, though, (and I’m preaching to myself), those are the best times to pull out our Bibles and ‘book it’ like a Berean.

“Do Not Touch!”

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boundaries

My most favorite moment of the day is the one in which my husband returns home from work –or anywhere, for that matter. Although, yesterday was one of those rare occasions when, instead of being greeted with a hug and kiss, my beloved greeted me with the words, “Don’t touch me!” And I am certainly glad he did!

Allow me to explain. In his line of work, my husband is occasionally exposed to the one thing that I am deathly allergic to, and he is not willing to risk my well-being, should any of the nasty stuff be lingering on him or his clothes. Of course, he enjoys my hugs as well, but he loves me way too much to allow a simple moment of pleasure to put me in harm’s way.

When my beloved says, “Don’t touch me!” I am always thankful; not only for the caution he has given, but also for the additional steps he takes to keep me safe. After his warning, he immediately showers and washes the clothing he was wearing so I do not have to touch them. Afterwards, when I finally get my hug, I feel all the more loved.

And that makes me think about our loving Heavenly Father. He too has established some boundaries for mankind, which are all designed to keep us safe from harm. And He loves us enough that He takes care of even the minutest details as we trust Him, and obey Him.

What about you dear reader, have you ever been frustrated by any of those ‘Thou Shall Not’ instructions in the Bible? If so, I would like you to encourage you that any time our precious LORD says no, He is not doing so to hinder us –quite the opposite in fact; they are simply boundaries meant to keep us safe and enjoy a more abundant, healthy and happy life, as it is written:

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11).

Having said that, the next time that you hear that soft voice of conviction warn you, “Do Not Touch,” even for something as simple as a book, or a television show, I hope you will walk away, rejoicing in the overwhelming love of your Heavenly Father -a love that cares too much to allow you to put yourself in harm’s way.

This too shall pass!

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bunny.engergizer

Certainly, we all need to: Put on the whole armor of God, that [we] may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. Ephesians 6:11

Although, truth be told, sometimes the devil has absolutely nothing to do with those insufferable days and seasons when everything that can go wrong does; and like the Energizer® bunny, just keeps on going. Comedian and Gospel singer, Mark Lowry, has often said that his favorite Bible verse is, “This too shall pass!” Of course, that’s not a literal verse, but the concept is certainly found within the pages of our precious Holy Bible.

Dear reader, I pray you start every day, especially the more difficult ones, with the full assurance that When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears and delivers them out of all their troubles (Psalms 34:17).

And, if you listen closely during those trying times, you will most assuredly hear the LORD gently remind you, “This too shall pass!”

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Is your armor scratched and well-worn? If so, you may enjoy my Rays of Light blog:
KNIGHTS IN DAZE
(click on this link to view)

Another Voice

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This morning I awoke to the cheerful sound of a puppy barking. Pleasant as this was, I don’t have a puppy. I do, however, have a vivacious cockatiel that loves to entertain. Boaz has a whole repertoire of songs he likes to whistle, and sounds he likes to mimic.

Admittedly, there have been times that I have mistaken some of Boaz’s sounds for others, especially his imitation of the oven timer, which he has skillfully mastered. However, being bamboozled by a feathery friend is a far cry different than being deceived by an enemy. I would like to say that has never happened to me, but sadly, it has happened far too often.

This afternoon, I was reflecting on the ease by which a person can be deceived, when the following scripture came to mind:

And when he [Jesus] putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.   And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers (John 10:4,5).

The truth is, dear reader, that today’s culture tends to bombard each of us with all kinds of “voices” –voices which beckon us to turn this way or that; to do something, buy something, accept something. While most demand simple life decisions, all too many of those “voices” serve only to distract, or confuse us in our faith, if we aren’t careful. Sadly, in our present culture, what used to be black and white has slowly turned into varying shades of gray, and that which used to be absolute has become ambiguous, even in the church.

So how do we know where to draw the line? How can we, as Christians, be “culturally relevant” without weakening the foundations of our faith? It’s quite simple, really. As one of Christ’s sheep, we will know His voice. And if we purpose to listen to His voice daily, we won’t be duped into following another, nor will we be easily deceived by the adversary of our souls. I don’t know about you, but this brings me great comfort!